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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411316">The Art of Roller Skating</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacesigngirl21/pseuds/peacesigngirl21'>peacesigngirl21</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: X &amp; Y | Pokemon X &amp; Y Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>+ my best attempt at a plot twist at the end, Calem teaches her, F/M, I just love them, KalosShipping - Freeform, Serena doesn't know how to skate, this might be a series if I ever find the motivation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:27:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacesigngirl21/pseuds/peacesigngirl21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Serena comes from, they walk like normal people. Calem/Serena, Kalosshipping</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Calme | Calem/Serena</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My new roller skates are an uncomfortable weight on my arms. It's nothing compared to the weight talking to Calem puts on my shoulders. "You're blocking the Gym." If you're going to wave that shiny little badge in my face, hurry up.</p>
<p>He nods down at my weights. "Why are you carrying them?" I follow his gaze. Why do you care?</p>
<p>"None of your business." What'd he expect, me to just admit I don't know how to use them? These skates would make me a bigger street hazard than a rampaging Skiddo. Not that Calem would ever get to know that. My creeping blush catches his attention; the amount of time he spends staring in awe funds its travels. You're making it obvious you're making itobvious youremakingitobvious—</p>
<p>Calem breaks down, not bothering to hide his chuckles. I don't care if it's the first time I've heard him laugh, or how fucking adorable it is, I need to compose myself before he completely breaks me. I get about five feet—I'm not a very fast stomper—but he whirls me around. He's touching his lips as if to make sure any trace of a smile is fully gone, except he misses a corner and it stays quirked. I focus on that instead of his probing, warm-for-once eyes. Stop looking at me like that. I don't want him to stop looking at me like that, ever.</p>
<p>"C'mon. I'm going to find you a nice corner, and we're going to learn to skate."</p>
<p>"No." Nonononono. Yes.</p>
<p>"Please." It was a question, but Calem isn't good with questions. I can feel him trying to take charge, wanting to control everything around him, and me. That doesn't stop him from offering me a hand, offering me a choice, yet not. There was no denying that hand. Calem isn't a touchy person. That hand doesn't have any calluses, unlike my scarred one. I haven't even gotten my first badge yet. This journey's already left its mark. Taking his palm makes me more insecure about mine until he squeezes it.</p>
<p>"I know just the place. Maybe you won't kill anyone there."</p>
<p>"I can kill you."</p>
<p>His fingers clench around mine. I look up to see him burying a somewhat small laugh into his other hand. "I'm not worried." In other words, he trusts me? Not to kill him. That's it.</p>
<p>Our backtracking cuts off on Vaniville Pathway. I'd been considering every possibility on the way here: what I would do, what he could do, what might happen because of this . . . stop that. Calem never dropped my hand or interrupted my thought, taking advantage of my inattention to gain control. He stops. I barely step back quick enough not to crash into him. "Alright, put them on."</p>
<p>Flocks of Fletchling are a constant above Vaniville Town. A few of the braver ones chirp at us. One tugs at Calem's bootlace, and I watch with unconcealed fascination as he taps a Poké Ball to its head. The Fletchling disappears; the ball shudders once and stills. I turn my back to him, sitting down to swap my shoes. This is the moment I'd been most scared of. Keep your legs closed. What if he comes around? Keep your legs closed. Why am I wearing a skirt? Keep your legs closed.</p>
<p>Calem does indeed come to face me, but he keeps his eyes up. "Shouldn't you be putting yours on, too?" I snap, disliking how he proudly towers over me. He just shrugs. About one minute in, he risks a glance at my progress, seeing me struggle with the laces. Kneeling, he reaches for my left skate.</p>
<p>A vicious snarl brings his hand (the one I haven't held yet) a safe distance for about two seconds, until he goes for it again. Together, we get both shoes on, one a little too tight. This clearly isn't going as romantically as planned. What?</p>
<p>"I didn't really think about how you'd stand up." Calem's above me again. At least his height blocks today's violent sunlight. I didn't either.</p>
<p>I huff at him. Getting my feet underneath me is a challenge on its own, added to trying not to flash Calem. The wheels below my feet move me down the path, not waiting for me to be ready or even standing. Vaniville's breeze tousles my already-unruly hair, once so carefully styled. I turn my head back to Calem, raising my eyebrows. "Look, I'm a natural."</p>
<p>Is your skirt tucked in? It wasn't. Calem's behind me now, though, too close to see anything T-rated. He gives me a too-fast-to-be-gentle push, sending me skyrocketing down the wide path. I let out a surprised shriek, scared to death of face-planting no matter how soft the earthy trail may be. He's running beside me, laughing along with my excited giggles at the speed.</p>
<p>He stops me before we both go tumbling through Aquacorde's streets. "You're a natural at sitting on your ass, you mean." We're both sprawled in the town's entrance; my heart's still pounding, not only because of hitting what had to have been light speed.</p>
<p>"Says the one sitting on his ass." I sit up, proving my point. I still don't know how to stand.</p>
<p>"I don't have to help you up." He stands anyway, grabbing me below the arms before I can argue. I do let out an intimidating squeak, though. Thank Arceus I shaved today.</p>
<p>"This is your final test, Serena. Can you really beat me in everything?" I sneak a surprised glance over my shoulder. He's smiling. Good.</p>
<p>"I would say yes, but your self-esteem already needs work." I'm scared to move, and I can tell by Calem's face that he can see it on mine, so I glare at the huge gate instead. "Just . . . give me a push or something, you dick."</p>
<p>He does push me. It's only me quick grab for something (his neck) saves me from a long, slightly downhill roll, and not on my roller skates. "Not like that!" His hands must've instinctively gone to my hips—let's face it, there's no other reason—and they tighten as he laughs. Calem closes his eyes when he laughs, so I can smile openly at him during those extensive fits.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, sorry," He swipes a sleeve across his mouth, wiping away any leftover chuckles. "Take two."</p>
<p>A wave of devastation creeps up my stomach, attacking full force. "But . . . but I'm going to fall!" I can hear him thinking yeah, that's part of it or suck it up and brace myself for a stinging reply.</p>
<p>"And I'm going to catch you." A small smile isn't careless on Calem like everyone else. It's all it takes to drain out my worry and steal a returning one when I'm not thinking. I can't think. Don't think.</p>
<p>He doesn't wait for a nod or any other sign of agreement. I'm on the move again, a very slow move, if nothing else. Calem keeps his hand on my back, soft against my clothes and just enough to keep me in motion. He walks beside me until we reach the Vaniville Gate. "Turn yourself around."</p>
<p>I clench my own arms to stop myself from reaching for him. "And how do I do that exactly?"</p>
<p>"Push one foot out to the side. No, not like tha—" I shove one foot directly behind me, propelling myself straight into Calem, who stepped in front of me. His hands give my shoulders a soft squeeze, like they're not the only things holding me upright. "Not like that."</p>
<p>"Then how?" I'm having a hard time keeping my feet planted. "I'm starting to think you don't know what you're teaching."</p>
<p>"I know more than you do. Push your feet out. You're trying too hard." I just want to impress you.</p>
<p>"Maybe I just want to impress you." He releases me a second prior to realizing what I said. Sarcastically, of course. I take off, moving my feet "out" or whatever Calem said. I end up on my ass more times than I'm willing to recount, so let's go with this: I end up on my ass a lot.</p>
<p>Calem stops laughing about the sort-of-a-lot time. My time was well-spent—he'd never stuck around long enough for me to cuss him out expansively. He never gets offended, no matter how creative my names are. His laugh keeps me going.</p>
<p>Roller-skating, I mean. Not that I'm starting to rely on it or anything.</p>
<p>Neither of us notices when I don't need him to stalk me back-and-forth anymore, or yell horrible advice like stand in a "v" position. It's not until I make about a dozen laps around him that he realizes, "Wait. You haven't fallen in like ten minutes." His hand—stop talking about his hands, for the love of Arceus—pulls me from attempting a sweet spin.</p>
<p>"Maybe because you stopped yelling at me." Helpful yelling, but still yelling.</p>
<p>"You almost ran over your own mother."</p>
<p>"She was riding a Rhyhorn! I was the one in danger!"</p>
<p>"In danger of killing your mother."</p>
<p>Whatever's left of the argument is lost in furious patches of snarky, meaningless comments and giggles. I roll to a sitting position, tugging at the laces without consideration. Calem has to untie them once he loses amusement, but that's only a casual detail—definitely not worth anyone's time or judgment.</p>
<p>"Thanks to you, there's no way I'm getting my badge today," I snarl at him half-heartedly. By now, whatever time it may be, the Santalune Gym had to be closed.</p>
<p>"Hey, I'm surprised that worked at all."</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>Calem smiles at me, sheepish and cocky all at once. "I don't know how to roller skate."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the whopping six months I've known him, I've never seen Calem anything other than calm and collected. I guess I haven't considered any of the feelings he's hiding from the world. I definitely didn't figure he'd be this angry all the time.</p><p>"I can't believe they'd make a cave that's only accessible by Rhyhorn," he's yelling at the tour guide/Rhyhorn handler who looks justifiably terrified. "This is the twenty-first century, and that is absolutely ridiculous."</p><p>"I don't think people make caves, Calem," I say. It's a joke—a pretty funny one at that, but he only whirls on me in surprise.</p><p>"Serena," he says in a much softer tone. The Rhyhorn handler gives me a grateful nod before wandering off to tend to another Rhyhorn. I don't blame him; it's much less threatening than an angry Calem.</p><p>"I don't mean to jump to conclusions, but are you scared of riding a Rhyhorn?" I ask. A fierce blush quickly spreads across Calem's cheeks. I find myself smiling despite my honorable intentions. If there's one thing I know, it's how to ride Rhyhorns. I'm quite good at it, actually.</p><p>"You know I can't exactly admit that to Grace the Rhyhorn Racer's daughter," Calem mumbles. I'm already breezing past him to the wall of saddles. This is probably what the tour guide is for, but I don't mind doing his job. My entire childhood is right here on one colorful display, for once feeling closer than a thousand miles away.</p><p>"Okay, since it's your first time, you'll probably want a saddle with extra padding." I try to tug down a hot pink saddle from the top row, but I'm not tall enough. Calem scrunches up his adorably dainty nose at my selection; he leans over me to get it anyway. I choose a tasteful pastel blue saddle for myself.</p><p>"Why do we need these? Grace doesn't use one," he says. I take a second to happily acknowledge he's watched some of my mother's old races. I may be decent with Rhyhorns, but I could never go bareback like her. Those stones are coming nowhere near my more private places. I'm not sure how to explain the obvious to a cute boy, though.</p><p>"You realize Rhyhorn is a Rock-type, right? As in it's covered in rocks?" I ask, pointing to the Pokémon in question. "Do you want to sit on that?" Gesturing between the jagged edges and his much softer skin, I pointedly avoid looking at the area this interrogation is directed at. Calem's blushing again.</p><p>"God, I wish I lived in Kanto. I bet they get to ride Ponyta," Calem says. I have to roll my eyes a few times before he notices. "What, did you not get to ride any Ponyta as a kid?"</p><p>"Need I remind you that my mother is not nicknamed 'Grace the Ponyta Prancer'?" We exchange sheepish grins as I try not to imagine how much more I would have enjoyed a pet Ponyta. "I don't think you'd like fire around your you-know-what either." So much for not thinking about that.</p><p>"I can't begin to express how uncomfortable I am right now," Calem says, but he's still smiling. "Thank you for teaching me about Rock- and Fire-types having rocks and fire on their persons, respectively."</p><p>"Shut up." The snarky comment costs Calem the rein I was about to attach to his Rhyhorn. Good luck getting anywhere that Pokemon doesn't want to go, you asshole. For fairness's sake, I leave mine on the wall, too. The Rhyhorn handler starts to say something, but a quick wink and a well-placed tip keep him quiet.</p><p>I pretend I don't notice Calem studying my every move as I climb onto my Rhyhorn. Despite my flawless example, he still can't swing a leg over without knocking his saddle loose. His Rhyhorn takes every opportunity to stomp on all its hot pink glory.</p><p>Easing myself back off my own ride, I approach Calem as one would a cornered animal. He shoots me a frustrated snort, which hits its mark and makes me giggle a bit. This doesn't help matters.</p><p>"Here, here," I say in a desperate attempt to appease him, taking his hands before he can argue. With me holding him steady, Calem flings a leg over Rhyhorn's back. The Pokémon is too big for him to comfortably straddle, so he's quickly forced to sit. I throw our hands in the air in an over-exuberant celebration. He rolls his eyes, another tiny smile forming.</p><p>It gives me a good chance to stare at him. I never pass those up.</p><p>Maybe I should give more thought toward what's going on in Calem's head. It doesn't occur to me until he's right here within reach—so easy to touch—how much I don't know about him. Looking at the miniscule (but beyond meaningful) smile I would pay 10,000P to see, his stormy gray eyes swimming with laughter, and the glowing black hair I'd kill for, I can't stand the idea of not knowing every thought that goes through his mind.</p><p>The moment is just that, a moment, because my HoloCaster chooses to start blasting a ringtone I've never heard before. "I'm a Barbie Girl! In a Barble wo-o-orld!" I hit the reject button before it gets too far, not even noticing the caller's name. Whoever it is can face my wrath in person later.</p><p>Calem has stopped laughing to simply stare at me. I don't have an explanation for anything that just happened, including our interlocked hands. I drop them awkwardly, and his face slips further into placidity.</p><p>"Remember when you changed Tierno's ringtone to the song 'Dancing Queen' from 'Mamma Mia!'?" he asks out of nowhere. I did that at least two months ago when we were all gathered in Sycamore's lab, right before I changed Trevor's to Weird Al's "White and Nerdy." Neither one of them was very pleased with me when I called them up later. I had almost forgotten about that.</p><p>I nod hesitantly, because I have no clue where this conversation is going. "He didn't like it very much."</p><p>"You're right," Calem says reassuringly. I deflate a little more. "He loved it. For an honest week, Tierno called me every single day just to hang up so I'd call him back. I hated it, but it made him happy, so…"</p><p>"This doesn't explain my awful ringtone, Calem. I am not a Barbie Girl." With my hands on my hips, I'm not sure I'm proving my point.</p><p>"I think Tierno was trying to return the favor," he explains. "I'll be the first to say he misjudged you, though." Calem doesn't meet my eyes while he says the last bit. That's how I know to take it more seriously than usual, letting the words sink straight to my heart. Smiling at his turned head is easier than smiling at his probing gaze, sometimes.</p><p>I return to my Rhyhorn with an extra bounce in my step. It's not often Calem agrees with anyone, especially me. As the official most-sane members of our friend group, I guess we're stuck together, weird ringtones and all.</p><p>"Are you ready to head out?" I ask him, tapping his elbow with mine as I lead my steed past his stationary one. Calem blows out a loud sigh in response.</p><p>We take the path in baby steps, which I handle patiently for about fifteen minutes. Then I tell Calem to yell if he needs anything while I explore. He makes it a solid ten feet after I've found every item in a five-mile radius and battled a Sky Trainer. It's difficult not to brag once I trek back to him.</p><p>Despite my impressive time management, I left a few boulders intact to teach Calem about Rhyhorn's other abilities. He encounters the first one a few minutes after my return. "Serena," he groans, gazing up at the massive rock, "what is this?"</p><p>"I thought we already covered the rock part of today's lesson, Calem. You're supposed to be able to recognize rocks now." In response, Calem kicks a few rocks at me. His Rhyhorn snuffles after them.</p><p>He's about to hurl another complaint my way when his Rhyhorn gets tired of waiting. I watch pure instinct take over its dutiful, relaxed constitution, and it and Calem go flying into the boulder. The rock splinters straight down the center, sending shrapnel like tiny missiles in every direction. Every party is injured, but I'm still laughing my ass off through the stinging pain in my upper arm.</p><p>"What the hell is wrong with this thing?" Calem yells at me. "I'm done, Serena, I'm done! Tell Professor Sycamore to study Mega Evolution himself and see how he likes riding this damn Rhyhorn! I bet Rhyhorn doesn't have a Mega Evolution, because it's the worst Pokemon this world has ever seen!"</p><p>It's a good thing Calem doesn't know how to turn the Rhyhorn around, because I'm not sure I could convince him to keep going otherwise. Plus, I manage to film his entire tirade without him noticing. A true win-win scenario.</p><p>Only after he refuses to move one more inch do I finally agree to my pre-planned last resort. An Escape Rope is tied between our Rhyhorns, and I lead us to the cave. Calem hardly speaks at all except to chide me for overfeeding his Rhyhorn berries, which I toss over my shoulder at regular intervals. In my defense, it was my way of apologizing. That Pokémon is as scarred as Calem after today's events.</p><p>"Hey, Serena, can I see your HoloCaster?" he asks when we're almost halfway there. I covered ground a lot faster when I didn't have almost four hundred pounds dragging behind me. For a second I wonder if he actually saw me recording, but I decide it's only Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna's loss if he deletes that video. I hand him my HoloCaster without comment.</p><p>I have a second idea of what he's doing, anyway. It excites me more than I care to admit.</p><p>Twenty minutes later sees us to our destination. Calem practically kisses the ground after he crawls off his Rhyhorn. He walks like he's been out to sea for twenty years and glares at me every time I giggle, no matter how quietly I do it. I can't stop glancing at him while I tie up both our rides.</p><p>"Well, I'll see you inside, neighbor," he says by way of goodbye. Trying not to seem disappointed, I give him a hearty wave.</p><p>To my extreme irritation, Calem roller skates into the cave. I'm left with two emotionally exhausted Rhyhorn.</p><p>A few seconds later, my HoloCaster rings. I don't answer. I'm distracted by a song I've never heard before:</p><p>"I've been through the desert</p><p>And I've been across the sea</p><p>I've been walking through the mountains</p><p>I've wandered through the trees for her</p><p>I have been trying to find her</p><p>Want to give what I got, she lit a fire</p><p>But now she's in my every thought."</p><p>Calem's call goes to voicemail, but I'm already running after him into the cave. He's standing right in front of the entrance and shoots me a hesitant smile as soon as he sees me. It only lasts a second before I crash into him with a bone-breaking hug.</p><p>"Do you like it?" he laughs breathily in my ear. I didn't even realize how shaky my own legs are, but once I let go, it's difficult to stand on my own.</p><p>The song is perfect, but not as perfect as the boy in front of me. The thoughtfulness makes me feel a little guilty as I plan what his future ringtone will be. Calem hands me his HoloCaster without hesitation when I ask, the poor sucker.</p><p>We navigate the cave with much more ease than the trail outside—not even Team Flare can impede our progress. It all turns out to be a ginormous waste of time, though my Sail Fossil is beautiful enough to make up for it.</p><p>The dwindling twilight is just coming into view when Shauna calls Calem, just like I asked. "I bet Rhyhorn doesn't have a Mega Evolution, because it's the worst Pokémon this world has ever seen! I bet Rhyhorn doesn't have a Mega Evolution, because it's the worst Pokémon this world has ever seen! I bet Rhyhorn doesn't have a—!" The call goes to voicemail.</p><p>I brace myself for another epic Calem rant, but instead, I'm greeted with a wave of incredible, breathless giggles. His smile glows against the cave's dim lighting. I don't need much encouragement to join his easy laughter.</p><p>"That's perfect, Serena," he says, reaching out to touch my arm. "You really do know me so well." Calem falters. "All of us, I mean."</p><p>I know what he means, so I take his hand no matter how much the gesture scares me. I know he'll need the support in the upcoming moments.</p><p>Calem lets me keep his hand until we reenter the real world, where our two Rhyhorn are waiting patiently to carry us back.</p><p>"Oh, hell no."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! The song is "She Lit A Fire" by Lord Huron.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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